Those Ten Years
by jessiejane10
Summary: Buzz recalls Jessie's flirting, and moments they shared, during their years as Andy's toys. Co-written with Diane Clifford.
1. Prologue

_Howdy! _ _So, I've cooked up another little fic here, this time with my friend Diane Clifford. ;) She and I both loved the idea for the story, so we decided to work on it together. We'll be alternating authorship of the chapters, and I'll specify at the beginning of each chapter who the author is. This one is mine. _

_The song referenced in this fic is 'Don't Ya' by Brett Eldredge. I do not claim any ownership of it, I only use it as inspiration, setting the scene for the rest of the story. Alas, I still don't own Disney or Toy Story, either._

_Enjoy! And please leave us a review! :D_

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**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

It was a lazy weekday afternoon for Bonnie's toys, the Anderson family away from home as usual. Leafy shadows – cast by the warm autumn sun, shining above a rustling tree outside the window – danced across the foot of Bonnie's parents' bed, where Buzz and Jessie lay listening to the radio and just enjoying being together. Jessie had won the choice of the country station, and she was contentedly cuddled against Buzz, her head resting on his shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

As they lay in their peaceful retreat, a song began to play that Buzz didn't recall hearing before, and he turned his attention to the lyrics…

_Girl you cut those jeans just right  
I know you didn't buy 'em like that  
So baby don't even try that  
You dance, oh you move  
Like there ain't nobody watchin'  
But girl you know I'm watchin' _

A smirk formed on the space ranger's face, and he chuckled.

"What?" Jessie pivoted her head ever so slightly up to face him.

"That is YOU, Jessie," he remarked, amused.

"Huh?" The cowgirl focused intently on the next verse, pursing her lips as she realized what the song was about.

_You've been lookin' over here all night  
And when I look, you look away  
Oh I love the little games you play  
Yeah I bet you didn't mean to brush my hand when you walked by me  
Like you didn't mean to drive me crazy_

"That is NOT!" protested Jessie emphatically. "I don't mess with ya like that!" Her face feigned shock.

"You don't now, no – well, not like you used to, before." Buzz smiled at her indignant pout. "You knew exactly what you were doing to me back at Andy's, always teasing."

Jessie looked at him through innocent puppy-dog eyes. "I didn't tease ya, we were just friends then!"

"Oh, please. You flirted like crazy. It was like you were on a mission to get me flustered."

"Didn't take much," she giggled at the memory. "But I wasn't messin.' YOU were just a mess!"

"Hey!" The space ranger retaliated by rolling onto his side, freeing Jessie from his embrace and tickling her sides. As she squealed and squirmed beneath him, their playful battle being fought without words, the couple could hear the chorus play a final time…

_Don't lie, you've got it all figured out  
That smile, has got me spinnin' around  
Don't even try actin' like it ain't no thing  
Cause I can see you move a little closer, closer  
Girl I gotta get to get to know ya, know ya  
Everything about ya makes me want ya, want ya  
Know what you're doin' baby don't ya, don't ya_

"Don't lie, cowgirl." Buzz raised an eyebrow and glanced down defiantly at Jessie. "You can't deny it."

She grinned up at him mischievously. "You can't prove anything."

Once again the space ranger's fingers grasped his girlfriend's sides, and she let out a high-pitched squeak as the tickling resumed. "I think I CAN," he challenged. "Where do I even begin? As I recall, you didn't waste any time in starting to tease me. Remember when…"


	2. Year One

_Credit for this chapter goes to Diane Clifford. Enjoy, and please leave a review! :)_

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**Chapter 2 - Year One**

"Hey, slow down!" Jessie heard Rex shouting long before it happened.

It was a few weeks after she had arrived at Andy's with Bullseye. Things were going well, but she was still adjusting to being one of very few female toys in an otherwise male dominated room. The male toys seemed to often play a little more boisterously than she was used to, having been owned by a little girl previously.

Right now, her attention was caught by Rex's words. "Come on, give it back, I only borrowed it, Woody will make me extinct if I lose it!"

"You gotta catch me, Lizard Breath!" Mr Potatohead called, running towards near where Jessie was standing. She could see he was holding a square object, which she recognised as Woody's clipboard.

Her loyalty to her brother made her stop dead in the middle of the room. Mr Potatohead was so busy looking behind him in his quest to get away, that he didn't see Jessie, and ran straight into her. He dropped the clipboard, and fell over with a grunt. Several of his pieces flew off, clattering in the immediate surroundings.

"Oh! Thank you Jessie!" Rex panted, catching up to the cowgirl and the spud, who by now was lying on his back, moustacheless, armless, and one-eye-less.

Jessie shrugged and gave a small smile. "Happy to help a critter, Rex." She retrieved the clipboard and held it out, as Mr Potatohead grumbled and started to get up, picking up his parts off the floor. He gave Jessie a bit of a look – as much as was possible with only one eye left in his head – and shuffled off, muttering something about newcomers getting in the way.

Rex, meanwhile, grabbed the clipboard from Jessie as if his life depended on it. "I must return this!" He gabbled with a grin, his little arms wrapped around the brown square. As he turned to go, Jessie noticed his tail making a beeline straight for her head. She shrieked a little, and ducked, feeling Rex's tail make contact.

As the dinosaur toy lumbered off, she raised up again to full height. Something wasn't right. Jessie frowned, putting her hand up to her head. Her hat wasn't there. She glanced around and saw it lying on the floor just behind her. That's what it was. She turned around, and bent over to pick it up; grateful she hadn't sustained a serious injury or broken part.

_Ka-chunk._

She stayed where she was for a moment, her ears caught by the noise. Her brow furrowed, and she looked behind her, around her leg. In the upside down position, she blinked before straightening up to make sure she had seen correctly.

There, standing not too far behind her as she looked over her shoulder, was Buzz Lightyear. His wings were out, the tips blinking alternately.

"Why would his wings be out like that?" She wondered vaguely to herself. She watched him fumble for, and eventually hit the red button on his chest panel, as he muttered something to himself. The wings went back in; she heard them clunk back into place. She shook her head and recollected her thoughts.

"_Where was I….? Oh right, my hat. Honestly, I'm so forgetful." _She bent over a second time to retrieve the hat.

_Ka-chunk._

She jerked to a stop. Her eyes widened and her body tensed, her hand hovering just above where her hat still lay, forgotten in that instant. That noise was familiar now. Her fingers brushed her hat, and she made sure to keep hold of it this time, as she straightened up and turned.

Buzz was still standing there in the same spot behind her, and his wings were back out. The wing tips were flashing again, green and red, green and red. A mischievous smile played over Jessie's features.

"_Really, Buzz?"_ She thought, the realisation occurring. She set her hat back on her head and walked over to him, long graceful strides. She reached the spot in front of him and her hand shot out, pushing the large red button.

There was an audible clunk as the wings popped back into place. Their eyes met, and Jessie swore she saw an uncomfortable look pass over his face for a mere second. She regarded him for a moment more, amusement coursing through her.

"_Let's see how he likes this,"_ She thought to herself, as she turned on her heel and started to walk off, being sure to shake her hips as she went.

From behind her a few moments later, she was rewarded with the sound she was expecting to hear.

_Ka-chunk._


	3. Year Two

_Jessiejane10 gets credit for this one. Enjoy, and please leave a review! :)  
_

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**Chapter 3 - Year Two**

"He's looking at you again, you know."

Bo and Jessie sat on the desk in front of Andy's bedroom window, which had been opened to let in the breeze on an unseasonably cool late summer day. In the year since Jessie had come to live in Andy's room, the two female toys had become close friends, Mrs. Potato Head being too preoccupied with her three alien children to be very social. The cowgirl and shepherdess could frequently be found together talking, and more often than not their conversations ended up being about Buzz and Woody.

Jessie giggled. She looked back over her shoulder and down at Buzz. The space ranger was seated on the floor with Rex, assisting the dinosaur with the more difficult levels of Andy's new _Buzz Lightyear of Star Command_ video game. Every now and then the girls would catch him glance in their direction, only to quickly turn away as soon as he feared they might have noticed.

She smiled sweetly at him, throwing the dreamy-eyed space ranger completely off guard. Startled, he let out a faint gasp as he hastily turned back towards the television screen.

"What's the matter, Buzz?" Rex asked worriedly, while fiddling with the game controls.

"N-nothing, Rex," stuttered Buzz, as he struggled to compose himself, trying with all his might to suppress the all-too-familiar heat that rose inside him every time he locked eyes with Jessie.

"Poor Buzz," Bo sighed. "I see what you do to him. You really know how to push his buttons."

"I do not!" Jessie objected. "Not all of 'em!"

Her friend laughed. "I meant figuratively, silly. Unless there's something you're not telling me?"

The cowgirl twisted her face at the shepherdess, who merely countered with a smug smile.

"You know the effect you have on him, Jessie. Everyone does. It's been a year now, though; how long are you gonna wait for him to make a move?"

"Make a move? But we're jus' friends," she unconvincingly dismissed the question.

Bo gave Jessie a look that showed she knew her friend wasn't being totally honest. "Listen to me, honey, your friends don't look at you like that space ranger does, and they don't get all tongue-tied, either. Woody was the same around me at first, too. Sometimes us girls have to take matters into our own hands, and force the man to take the next step. You DO like him as more than a friend, don't you?" Jessie's silence and diverted gaze answered the shepherdess's question. "I thought so."

The cowgirl looked up at her friend earnestly. "B-but how? I never had a fella interested in me before, and I ain't ever been very… girly."

"He seems to like you just fine the way you are, so don't worry about that. But there's no harm in turning things up a little, and driving him so crazy he just might throw all caution to the wind. Has he paid you any compliments? If you know what he likes, you can use that to your advantage."

"Jus' my hair. That's the only compliment he's managed to get out… sorta." Jessie smiled as she remembered that day on Andy's bed, when he had stammered about her _'yarn full of hair.'_

"Well, then," the shepherdess smirked. "I have an idea. Turn around." She patted the space in front of her, inviting Jessie to move closer, and the cowgirl obliged. Bo set Jessie's hat on the desk and untied the yellow bow at the end of her friend's braid, using her slender fingers to separate its sections. "There, now shake your head."

Long strands of red yarn fell loosely across Jessie's shoulders as she tossed her head from side to side.

From Buzz's vantage point below, the sunlight behind the cowgirl caught her silhouette at just the right angle. She seemed to glow from within as her hair bounced gracefully and danced in the breeze, framing her face. He had always found her beautiful; and he had more than once imagined what her hair might look like set free from its braid. But here, seeing it in reality surpassed all his fantasies. He stared, mouth agape and eyes wide as saucers, completely mesmerized and unable to turn away. The video game controller slipped from his grasp and clattered on the wooden floor.

"Buzz , what're you doing?!" Rex cried, waving his tiny arms in exasperation. "I died! Now I have to start that level all over again!"

The space ranger was snapped abruptly back into reality. "S-s-sorry, Rex, I-I don't know what came over me." Shaken, and utterly distracted, he attempted to return his focus to the game.

Bo looked down to the floor and grinned, pleased by the commotion her simple idea had caused.

Jessie turned to face her friend. "Is that it?" the cowgirl asked, fingering a strand or two of hair thoughtfully. "That's all I have to do?"

Bo thought for a moment. "Well... it's certainly a start..." she commented. "We just need something else to really get his laser firing." Her ponderings were interrupted when the perfect opportunity presented itself, a gust of wind swirling through the open window and carrying Jessie's hat with it onto the floor, only to land less than a foot away from where Buzz was sitting.

"My hat!" Jessie stood and stepped to the edge of the desk, watching it float away.

"Now's your chance," the shepherdess instructed. "Go get it, but take your time. Make him weak in the knees. Well, weak_er_." She winked.

Jessie gave Bo an understanding smirk. "I think I know jus' what to do. I got this." She jumped down onto the desk chair and then to the floor below.

Buzz saw Jessie coming. Oh boy, did he see her. And he couldn't take his eyes off her. Jessie – the same Jessie he had seen every day for the past year, but never like this. Not with that hair swinging so teasingly – brushing across her shoulders, back, and chest with each step she took – and making his mind wander to places he dared not let it go. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to take her in his arms and run his fingers through those taunting scarlet tresses, and to let her overtake his senses completely.

The space ranger had set himself up for trouble. It only took a few strides of the cowgirl's long legs for her to reach him, and his mouth went dry when he became certain that she was going to speak to him, looking like that. _'Blast,'_ he cursed himself inwardly, as he felt heat coursing through his circuits, and an unwelcome sensation returning in his jetpack. _'Not again.'_

"Howdy, Buzz," Jessie purred, his name rolling off her lips in a tone that was far more flirty than friendly. As she passed him, she let her fingertips brush the seated space ranger's shoulder ever so slightly. Then the inevitable happened.

_Ka-chunk._

The cowgirl retrieved her hat. When she returned past the scene of the crime, a very agitated Buzz was helping Rex back up, having knocked him over with the force of his extending wings. She sauntered on by, a spring in her step and a grin spreading across her features, satisfied with the reaction she had just elicited.

Bo looked down proudly at her friend and smiled. "Good girl, Jessie," she said softly to herself. "You got him."


	4. Year Three

_Authorship of this chapter belongs to Diane Clifford. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave us a review! :D_

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**Chapter 4 - Year Three**

It was afternoon in late December. It had been raining for most of the day, and Andy was slumped at the kitchen table. The raindrops pattered against the windowsill and the young boy gave a groan of despair.

Mrs. Davis was standing by the counter, mixing the batter for a cake. She turned to look over her shoulder at her young son fondly. Andy caught his mother's eye and sighed.

"Mom, I'm bored."

"Why don't you play with some of your new toys you got for Christmas?" Mrs. Davis suggested, turning back to add more milk to the mixture in front of her.

"I played with them all already." Andy complained.

"Even the new Transformers I got you?" Mrs. Davis asked.

Andy nodded. "Yeah, and they're really awesome, Mom, but there's only so many times I want to transform them back and forth from a really cool robot into a car, or a fire truck, or even that Movor one that turns into a space shuttle!"

Mrs. Davis smiled to herself. "Speaking of which, I think a certain someone borrowed some of your toys for her tea party. How about you go play with Molly?"

Andy's eyes widened. "Mom! She's a girl!"

"And your sister."

"Which only makes it worse." Andy grimaced. "She's such a snot."

"Andy Davis!" Mrs. Davis threw the spoon she was using into the bowl and turned around to face her ten-year-old son. "For that, you can march yourself right upstairs to play with your sister. And no arguments!"

* * *

"Remind me never to say I'm bored in front of Mom again," Andy muttered to Woody under his breath. He was sitting in his little sister's room. Three-year-old Molly was toddling about, messing with the toy kitchen set she had received as a generous present for Christmas.

"Andy? Do ya want some cakey?" She lisped from behind the 'kitchen', opening the miniature oven door and bringing out a fake sponge cake on a plate.

Andy sighed a little and rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"It's good cake," Molly lisped, bringing it over to the table. She set it down, moved Jessie from the table to a chair, then pinged Buzz's helmet open so he could eat some of the 'cake'.

"Heehee, Andy play." She giggled, flopping down on her rear end and waving her arms about. Andy gave another sigh and made Woody 'drink' from a plastic teacup.

"Kids! How about some real cake?" Mrs. Davis shouted up from the kitchen, and Andy grinned widely. His mother's interruption meant only one thing – freedom.

"C'mon Molly!" He dropped Woody on the table and hoisted the still giggling toddler into his arms, almost running from the room in his attempt to get away from the girly game.

When the two children were gone, Woody lifted himself into a sitting position. Jessie crawled onto the table next to him, and Buzz shifted in the plastic chair he had been stuck into.

"I've never been to a tea party before," Jessie said thoughtfully. She prodded the plastic cake that still sat in the middle of the table. "Can't say I'm a huge fan, though."

Woody grinned. "It's not the first one I've been to. Probably won't be the last, either." He smirked and glanced at Buzz. "Of course, _some_ of us would rather it be our last."

Jessie tilted her head at her brother. "What do you mean?"

Woody kept the smile on his face. "Oh I think a certain toy amongst us enjoys the odd tea party more than he lets on."

Jessie blinked, and looked across at Buzz, who was still struggling to get out of the plastic chair he had been wedged into. "Buzz?"

"W-w-what?" Buzz's head snapped up as he finally wrestled himself out of the chair prison.

"You like tea parties?"

Buzz's face went white as he realised what the other two were talking about. "Erm.." the flashback to two years previous made him just as uncomfortable now as it did around the time.

"Sure," Woody butted in to answer for Buzz. "He loves them. He even gets dressed up, dontcha Buzz?"

"U-u-u-uh..." This was _not_ good, and Buzz knew it. Noticing Buzz's chagrin, Woody pressed on, much to the spacetoy's horror.

"He even changed his name at the last one. Refused to be addressed by the name Buzz Lightyear at all…"

Buzz was utterly dumbstruck by what Woody was doing. Across from him, Jessie's eyes widened for a moment as Woody went on.

"As I also recall, when I caught up with him in the middle of it all, he had some sort of frantic, nervous breakdown. Gabbling and all sorts about being a sham and not being able to fly. I think he may even have mentioned the name he wanted to be called by….what was that now…?" Woody put a hand up to his chin, thinking for a moment or two.

Buzz couldn't believe it. He swallowed; this was nothing short of a train wreck. He stayed silent, hoping Woody wouldn't remember what the name was. If the cowboy did, then he, Buzz Lightyear, could probably wave goodbye to any romantic intentions he might have had towards the little cowgirl sitting in proximity to him right now.

"Mrs. Nesbitt, wasn't it, Buzz?" Woody turned to grin widely at the distraught space toy.

Buzz blinked and shuffled backwards, casting a glance at Jessie. To his surprise, she didn't look very amused by Woody's antics at all. To further his astonishment, she then reached out and pinched Woody sharply on the arm, making the cowboy yelp.

"Leave him alone, Woody, ya big meanie," she said firmly. "Can't you see he's mortified enough as it is?!" She gestured across at Buzz, who was blinking fast in an effort to keep calm.

Woody glanced between Jessie and Buzz, and was about to spill the beans even more about Buzz's time at Hannah's tea party when they heard footsteps in the hallway. Andy came running back in as they all dropped back into toy mode.

The young boy picked Woody up off the table. "C'mon Woody! There's homemade cinnamon and pecan sponge cake downstairs!" He yanked Woody's pull string and the voice box sounded.

_ "Yee-haw! Giddyup, pardner! We've gotta get this wagon train a-movin!"  
_  
Andy gave a delighted laugh and turned to run from the room. From down the hall Jessie and Buzz could hear the voice box sound again.

_"This town ain't big enough for the two of us!"_

Jessie hoisted herself into an upright position before straightening her hat. She looked over at Buzz, who was sitting there on the tea table with a mortified expression on his face. He hadn't dared to look at her, she noticed, which made a change from the usual.

"Don't worry about what Woody was saying, Buzzy. You know I don't think any less of you, right?"

Buzz couldn't bring himself to look at her. "Y-y-you don't?"

"Nah, silly britches. Why would I? I think it's kinda cute." Jessie smiled brightly.

"O-oh." Buzz stuttered, finally lifting his head. Their gaze met and he gulped. She was radiating a warm stare in his direction, something he hadn't been expecting. Shyly, he felt a small smile prick the corners of his mouth – and an all too familiar heat prod at his wing tips, too.

The moment was dashed when she stood up to come over to him. As she settled back down to kneel directly in front of him, her chest came about level with his eyes. Within a moment or less there was an audible _ka-chunk_ as he lost the battle with his innermost thoughts, and his wings popped out.

Jessie's eyes widened as she watched the wings tips blink red and green, then gave him a amused look. "However, we should really do something about that problem of yours."

"P-p-p-problem?" Buzz stuttered, shuffling backwards a little more. "I don't have a p-p-p-problem."

Jessie leaned over to push the red button on his chest and gave him a wink. "I think you do, Buzzy boy. I seriously think you do."


End file.
